Egypt’s top diplomat: Nile dispute to be resolved in January

CAIRO – Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shorky says the Nile water dispute between his country and Ethiopia should be resolved by mid-January.

Shokry released a statement on Thursday after U.S.-mediated talks with his Ethiopian and Sudanese counterparts that were held the previous day in Washington.

The talks aim to ease tensions among the three key Nile Basin countries — Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia — over Ethiopia’s massive dam on the Blue Nile, which Egypt fears can affect its water supply.

Shokry says a timetable has been set for negotiations and that another two meetings will be held in the U.S. over the next two months to assess progress.

Last month, talks between the two countries collapsed, which prompted Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sissi to call on the U.S. to mediate the dispute.